Fuel Cost Calculator

How to Use the Fuel Cost Calculator

Our calculator makes it simple to estimate fuel expenses and compare vehicle efficiency in three easy steps:

1. Enter trip details: Input your trip distance, your vehicle’s fuel efficiency (MPG), and the local fuel price.
2. View results: Instantly see real-time calculations for the total gallons of fuel needed, the total cost for the trip, and your cost per mile.
3. Compare vehicles: Switch to the “Vehicle Comparison” tab to see how a more fuel-efficient car could reduce your expenses for the same trip and over the course of a year.

Advanced Fuel Saving Techniques: Beyond the Basics

While basic maintenance and smooth driving are effective, you can achieve even greater fuel economy with these advanced strategies:

• Lighten Your Load: For every 100 pounds of extra weight in your vehicle, fuel efficiency can drop by about 1%. Remove unnecessary items from your trunk and cabin, including unused roof racks, to reduce the energy needed to move your car.
• Improve Aerodynamics: At highway speeds, wind resistance is a major factor in fuel consumption. Driving with the windows down can create significant drag. At speeds over 55 mph, using your air conditioning is often more fuel-efficient than opening the windows.
• Anticipate Traffic Flow: Look well ahead on the road to anticipate changes. By timing traffic lights and maintaining a safe following distance, you can minimize hard braking and rapid acceleration, which are major fuel wasters. This technique, known as “predictive driving,” keeps the car moving at a steady, efficient pace.
• Use Cruise Control Wisely: On long, flat stretches of highway, cruise control helps maintain a constant speed and can save fuel. However, avoid using it on hilly terrain, as it can cause unnecessary acceleration to maintain speed up inclines.
• Plan Your Route: Combine errands into a single trip to avoid multiple cold starts, as a warm engine is more efficient. Use mapping services to find the most direct routes with the fewest stops and least traffic congestion.

How Weather and Seasons Impact Your Fuel Economy

Did you know that the time of year can significantly affect your vehicle’s MPG? Understanding these effects can help you better manage fuel costs.

Winter Driving

Fuel economy is generally lower in cold weather. A conventional gasoline car’s mileage can be about 15% lower at 20°F than it would be at 77°F. Several factors contribute to this decrease:

• Denser Air: Cold air is denser than warm air, which increases aerodynamic drag, especially at highway speeds. For every 10°F drop in temperature, aerodynamic drag increases by about 2%.
• Engine and Transmission Friction: Engine oil and other fluids become thicker in the cold, increasing friction until the engine warms up.
• Slower Warm-Up: It takes longer for your engine to reach its optimal, fuel-efficient operating temperature. This has a greater impact on short trips.

Summer Driving

While warmer temperatures can improve initial engine efficiency, summer brings its own challenges to fuel economy:

• Air Conditioning Use: Running the A/C is the biggest drain on fuel in hot weather, potentially reducing fuel economy by more than 25% in very hot conditions.
• Fuel Evaporation: High temperatures can cause more fuel to evaporate from your tank if the gas cap is not sealed correctly.
• Engine Cooling: The engine’s cooling fan may need to run more often to prevent overheating, which consumes extra energy.

Debunking Common Fuel-Saving Myths

There’s a lot of advice out there about saving gas, but not all of it is accurate. Here, we separate fact from fiction for some of the most common fuel-saving myths.

• Myth: Warming up your car before driving saves fuel.
  Fact: This is a leftover from the days of carbureted engines. Modern engines warm up more efficiently while being driven. Idling for more than a minute just wastes fuel—you get zero miles per gallon.
• Myth: Premium fuel boosts efficiency in all cars.
  Fact: Unless your vehicle’s manufacturer specifically requires premium gasoline, using it offers no benefit. High-octane fuel is designed to prevent engine knock in high-performance engines, not to improve MPG in standard ones.
• Myth: Filling your gas tank in the cool morning gets you more fuel.
  Fact: The theory is that cooler, denser fuel gives you more volume. However, gas stations store fuel in underground tanks where the temperature is relatively stable. The difference is negligible, so fill up whenever it’s convenient.
• Myth: Shifting to neutral when coasting downhill saves fuel.
  Fact: In modern cars with fuel injection, the system automatically cuts off fuel to the engine when you coast in gear. Putting the car in neutral actually forces the engine to use a small amount of fuel to keep idling.